Assisted Living 101: What You Need to Know

So, you have found yourself the perfect assisted senior living facility after careful considerations of the level of care required for your loved one. You have gone over the total cost of the facility. But there are still a few necessary checks that you need to go over before the actual moving in.

Living communities that provide assistance to seniors have a number of protocols in place that allow for a better quality of life for old men/women alike since they cannot take of themselves. This is especially true for the various dementia care communities as well.

Let’s go over in details the considerations after you have made a choice from the online site and review cum recommendations.

Set up a tour

Setting up a tour with the facility is imperative as this will give you a clear idea about the level of care, facilities, and services on offer, cleanliness and the quality of food available to the residents.

Taking the tour

There are various considerations that you need to go over while taking the tour.

The outside

Even if a facility looks beautiful from the outside, it doesn’t mean the maintenance and services are top-notch.

The inside

You need to pay close attention to the small things including the carpets, furniture and the upkeep of the interiors by the facility care providers.

The activities

You need to ask about the activities that will help the residents to maintain their health, both mental as well as physical.

Food

Chances are you will be offered lunch to go with your tour. So pay close attention to the quality of food on offer for the residents.

Violations

Usually, there are state laws that a community must abide by and officials check for violations on a regular basis. You can ask to see the state report to get a better idea about the deficiencies and irregularities at the facility.

To find the perfect memory care facility

You can find the perfect memory care facility if you know the following questions that you need to ask,

• Are the care providers specific for dementia or Alzheimer’s?

• The certification and experience of the caregivers

• The staff to resident ratio

• Measures to prevent wandering off by the care providers and facility officials for the residents.

• The security measures in place

• Special activities and programs designed for individuals with memory issues

• Special diet and entertainment options available for the residents

• The pet friendliness of the memory care facility

• The location of the memory care facility and the visiting hours for the same

• The cost of the facility and the net expenditure

About the cost

The cost of a memory care facility can be around $4,000 and higher. You must remember that Medicare and Medicaid will not cover the full expenses at the memory care homes. You need to maintain a healthy budget to afford a memory care facility for a long time. Long-term care insurance can be a great idea to pay for memory care homes as well as VA annuities and benefits.